Box-fastener



` (No Model.)

W. B.. SCHMIDT. BOX FASTENBR. No. 456,436'.

Patented July 21,1891.

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Ates' Zarfys .Zal/ga? UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICEo VIIll-IELM R. SCHMIDT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOX-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,436, dated July 21, 1891.

Application liled April 1, 1891. Serial No. 387,267. (No model.)

To al whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM R. SCHMIDT, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Box-Fasteners, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to an automatic snapspring fastener for package-boxes whose keybolt has a single crank or angle handle, that when the box is fastened is hid retired in a recess in the lidcleat, and when said handles are turned outward for opening', the fastenings are released, and the handles at the same time provide convenient means by which the lid can be raised and removed from the box 5 and the invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

Figure I is a perspective detail view, and shows the handle of the key-bolt projecting from one end of the lid, as it does when the catch. is unfastened. Fig. II is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line II II, Fig. V, and shows the pendent key-bolt fastened to its snap-spring. Fig. III is a like view taken on line III III, Fig. IV, and shows the locking-recess of the pendent key-bolt in disengagement with the snap-spring in its unlocked position. Fig. IV is an enlarged vertical section taken on line IV IV, Fig. II, and shows the spring-fastening in its looked position. Fig. V is a like View taken on line V V, Fig. III, and shows the spring-fastening in its unlocked position. Fig. VI is an enlarged per spective View of the key-bolt, and Fig. VII is an enlarged perspective view of the double parallel-bar snap-spring.

Referring to the drawings, I represents the ends, 2 the sides, and 3 the lid, ef a box to which my spring-fastener is attached.

4 represents the spring-box-carrier cleats, which are secured by nails or screws to each end of the box in the position of the usual `buffer-cleat, on which, when the lid is closed,

its pendent cleat G rests. The said cleat 6 is secured to the lid by the usual means with nails or screws 7.

8 represents the horizontal spring-locking chamber, which is made in the form of a deep elongated slot Which enters from the lniddle of the inner side of said cleat 4 and extends, preferably, nearly half-way along the saine.

9 represents the vertical key-hole that extends through said cleat from top to bottom.

l0 represents the double parallel-bar loopspring, which is inserted in the locking-chamber, its parallel bars being on a horizontal level, respectively, to each other, the long section ll of said bars, both when operative and when inoperative,iitting snugly along against the face of the end surface of the box when said spring carrier-cleat is attached thereto. The other, being the latching-bar section, rests against the inner surface of the elongated slot S in said cleat at.

13 represents vertical channel-groove keyseats, through the lid-cleat G, in direct registry (when the lid is closed) with the key-hole 9 in the box-cleat beneath.

1I represents horizontal box-slot chambers above said channelgroove key-seats, and which extend laterally to one side of the same, to allow the recession of the angle-handle l5 of thekey-bolt 1G when said key-bolt is turned in its locked position.

17 represents concave locking-recesses in the key-bolts 1G, which, when said key-bolts are interlocked with said loop-spring l0, enibrace the inner arm of said loop-spring and lock the lid at each end to the box it covers.

The operation in putting the fastening attachment parts together in the construction of the box is to insert the loop-spring l0 in the horizontal spring-lockin g chamber 8, the latch bar or section l2 of said spring being entered iirst, and the long section-bar l1 having a reverse presentation, so that when the springbox-carrier cleat 4, in which said chamber is located, is secured by the nails or screws 5 in its permanent position, as shown in Figs. I, II, III, IV, and V, to the end of the box, the long bar-section ll of said spring-arm rests and rides against said end of the box and the latching-section 12 against the inner surface of the elongated slot S. The vertical key-hole 9 through said cleat registers fair for the descent of the bevel point 1S of the key-bolt at the rear of the latching-bar section of the spring, as shown in Figs. II, III, IV, and V.

The key-bolt l0 is inserted in the vertical channelgroove 13 in the lid-cleat, its anglel'OO handle 15 being housed or passing through the 'horizontal box-slot 14, and said cleat isY lkey-bolts push the latching-arms 12 ot' theloopsprings 10 away from their bed-surface in the elongated slot 8 and the key-bolts continue to slide down between said arm and its bedseat until simultaneously with the lower edges of the lid-cleats 6 coming in contact and resting on the upper edges of the spring-box cleats 4, the concave locking-recesses 17 of said key-bolts automatically snap into engagement with the latching-arm 12 of said loopsprings 10, as shown in Figs. II and IV, and the box is securely fastened. Now it will be seen that when fastened there is no part of the fastening that is exposed, for all parts but the swinging handle 15 are permanently housed when the lid is shut, and said handle is swung round within its recessed chamber when the key-bolt is in its locked position. Therefore, as there is no protrusion ot" any of said parts the abrasion of the adjoining packages and of the persons and clothes of the freight-handlers is avoided; also, the fastenings, being completely housed, are themselves preserved from injury, and the packages or boxes can be closepiled for carriage and storage, which cannot be done Where projecting fastenings interfere with said package. Again, lastly, there being no projection of any part of the fastenings when locked, said fast- Venings cannot accident-ally become unlocked bythe movement of packages past each other.

' NVhen it is desired to unlock the boX or package, the handles 15 of the key-bolts 1G are simply swung around from the position shown in Fig. IV to that shown in Figs.I and V, which turns the concave .locking-recess 17 from its locked position (shown in Figs. II and IV) in embrace of the latching-arrn 12 of the loop-spring 10 to a position at a right angle to both spring-arms, as shown in Figs. III and V, inwhich it releases its hold. The out- .swung handles 15 ot the key-bolts, when in their unlocked positions, also form convenient handles by which to elevate the lid from the box or package. y

In Fig. VII is shown a modification, in which the latching-arm ot' the loop-spring is made concavo-convex at its end, instead of straight, as in the form shown in Figs. Il and III.

I claim as my invention- In a box-fastener, the combinationof the spring-carrier cleat 4, provided with the clongated spring-locking chamber 8, the loopspring 10, having a stationary long arm 11,

and a latching-arm 12, and the locking recessed key-bolt 1G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILHELM R. SCHMIDT. In presence of- BENJN. A. KNIGHT, ALBERT M. EBERsoLE. 

